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The prime ministers of the Netherlands and Luxembourg on Monday urged Serbia and Kosovo to act to defuse recent tensions that have threatened to push the Balkan region into instability as Europe faces Russia's aggression in Ukraine. Dutch PM Mark Rutte and Xavier Bettel, the Luxembourg PM, spoke after meeting Serbia's President Aleksandar Vucic in Belgrade. Rutte and Bettel travel to Kosovo on Tuesday for meetings with top officials there. “We cannot, both of us, emphasize enough how important it is that both Serbia and Kosovo take steps toward de-escalation and ultimately normalization of their relations through the EU-led dialogue,” said Rutte. “This is crucial for the two countries themselves, first and foremost, but also for the entire region and Europe as a whole,” he added. “With a war raging between Russia and Ukraine on our continent, it's more important than ever that we act together.” Serbia and its former province Kosovo have been at odds for decades, with Belgrade refusing to recognize Kosovo’s 2008 declaration of independence. Western efforts to resolve the crisis have increased recently, to avert possible instability in the Balkans as war ravages Ukraine. Tensions between the two countries flared anew in May after Kosovo police seized local municipal buildings in Serb-majority northern Kosovo to install ethnic Albanian mayors who were elected in an April election that Serbs overwhelmingly boycotted. Violent clashes injured 30 international peacekeepers and more than 50 ethnic Serbs, stirring fears of a renewal of the 1998-99 conflict that left more than 10,000 people dead, mostly Kosovar Albanians. The U.S and the EU have pressed Serbia and Kosovo to take steps to lower tensions. Normalization of relations is the key condition for the two countries to move forward in their efforts to join the EU. Bettel, too, called on the two sides to act. “Words are good, actions are better,” he said. “And we need to advance on these topics and to show also that there is a wish of de-escalation.” Vucic expressed hope that the two prime ministers' visit to Serbia and Kosovo would help. “I promised that Serbia will do all it can to preserve peace and stability,” he said. Washington and most EU nations have recognized Kosovo’s independence, while Russia and China have backed Serbia’s claim on the territory. The 1998-99 war erupted when separatist ethnic Albanians rebelled against Serbia's rule and Belgrade responded with a brutal crackdown. NATO bombing in 1999 forced Serbia to relinquish control but Belgrade has maintained Kosovo remains part of the country. Read More Ukraine war’s heaviest fight rages in east - follow live Charity boss speaks out over ‘traumatic’ encounter with royal aide Opponents of Serbia's populist leader block main highway to keep up pressure after weeks of protests Kosovo's prime minister offers to hold new elections in tense Serb-majority municipalities Novak Djokovic’s bid for Wimbledon title No. 8 and Grand Slam trophy No. 24 starts next week

(Refiling to fix typographical errors in 3rd paragraph to make it "programme" and "bringing") (Reuters) -Russia has brought some 700,000

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More than €1 million (£860,000) has been raised for the family of a French police officer who shot dead a teenager at a traffic stop, an act that sparked riots across the country. That is far more than a similar campaign for the family of the boy killed. The online fundraiser started by Jean Messiha, an independent right-wing populist and former adviser to Marine Le Pen, has attracted donations from more than 52,000 people, while a fund set up by the policeman’s colleagues has raised around €60,000. The grandmother of Nahel Merzouk, 17, said she was heartbroken by the donations. “He took the life of my grandson. This man must pay, the same as everyone,” Nadia said to BFMTV about the officer. "Jean Messiha is playing with fire," said MP Eric Bothorel, part of President Emmanuel Macron’s ruling party. He called the fundraiser "indecent and scandalous". The justice minister, Eric Dupond-Moretti, said the fundraiser was “fuelling the fire” of unrest, describing it as a populist “instrumentalisation” of the teenager’s death. Meanwhile, a fundraiser for the victim’s family has raised more than €200,000 from around 100,000 donations. Nahel, who was of Algerian descent, was shot dead in his car by a police officer last Tuesday during a traffic check in Paris. The 38-year-old officer has been charged with voluntary homicide and remanded in custody. He claims he had the right to fire his gun to protect himself, a colleague and other road users. Prosecutor Pascal Prache concluded in an initial investigation that “the conditions for the legal use of the weapon were not met”. Thousands of protesters have been arrested since fiery clashes first erupted on Tuesday night in and around the Paris suburb of Nanterre where the teenager was killed. The family of the slain teen has pleaded for the unrest to “calm down” after council-run buildings including libraries and primary schools, and law enforcement stations were attacked, and vehicles and buildings were torched. The aunt of the slain teen told The Independent: “The family is very much against the violence. “But I hope that Nahel’s death is going to trigger some kind of change that means this never happens again.” Criminal lawyer Carole-Olivia Monteno called the fundraiser for the officer “insulting” to Nahel’s family. “It only increases hate where there’s too much of it already, its completely inappropriate and politically it does nothing,” she said. La France Insoumise MP Mathilde Panot also wrote: “Killing a young North African, in France in 2023, can earn you a lot of money.” While first secretary of the opposition Socialist Party Olivier Faure has called for it to be shut down. Itc omes after the home of a Paris mayor was raided and set alight on Sunday while his wife and children were inside sleeping. Vincent Jeanbrun, who is in charge of the area of L’Hay-les-Roses in the southern suburbs, said rockets were thrown as the family fled from the burning house in what he has called an “assassination attempt”. Mr Jeanbrun’s wife, Melanie Nowak, broke her leg as she attempted to flee through rocket fire and one of the couple’s two children was also injured. Overnight, 297 vehicles were torched across France, along with 34 buildings. Some 157 people were arrested, down from a peak of 3,880 arrests during the fiery night of June 30. More than 3,000 people have been detained overall since Nahel’s death. Hundreds of police and firefighters have also been injured in the violence, although authorities have not commented on how many protesters have been hurt. Read More Cleverly hails ‘close and friendly’ UK-EU ties in Brussels speech Leon Gautier, last member of French D-Day military commando, dies at 100 New June record for migrant Channel crossings France riots – live: Paris protests ease as family of teen killed in shooting makes desperate plea to rioters France riots: Aunt of teenager shot dead by police in Paris pleads for violence and looting to end Outrage and agony at funeral of boy whose ‘execution’ set France alight